Can-opener.



H. R. IVICFARLAND.

CAN OPENER,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29,1916.

Patented Apr. f2, 1918.

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NN NN ATTOR N EY WITNESSES mbm ' resinas.

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HARRY R. MGFARLAND, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

GAN-OPENER.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit lniown that l, HARRY RIVERS Mo- FARLAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State ofl/Vashington, have invented certain new and useful improvements inCan-Openers, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a tool, and particularly to adevice adapted for use as a can opener.

An object of the invention is to construct a tool of the characterdescribed which includes a bod portion having a handle at one end thereoa movable member slidably mounted on the body member and having a guideportion formed in conjunction therewith and extending substantially atright angles, a cutting knife carried by the body portion and disposedto be in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the guideportion, and an intermediate element carrying a penetrating center pinand havingparts associated therewith and with the body member and themovable member 1n such a way that as the movable member is adjustedalong the body member to vary the disposition of the guide portionthereof with respect to the knife of the body portion, the penetratingcenter pin will be maintained in a substantially centered dispositionbetween the guide portion and the knife. y

A still further object resides in providing means associated with theintermediate element by which the penetrating center pin is carried andwhich can be tightened down to clamp the movable member in rigidmounting upon the body `member when the desired adjustment of the guideor gage portion with respect to the knife has been accomplished.

Yet another object is to provide'an outstanding portion bent from thegage portion of the movable member in such relation that during thecutting operation as just described this outstanding portion will gripand hold with the ice while in yet another adaptation thisoutstandingportion can be used to pry a seal of the crown type from a bottle.

A still further object resides in providing a cutting knife for use inopening square cans and the like and in mounting a cork screw, theseparts being so arranged that they may be placed in use when the tool 1sgrasped through the medium of arhandle Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 19in..

provided to give a grip in the other uses as described.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in othernovel features `of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter set forth in connection'with the drawings and then moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a view in elevation showing the tool andwith certain parts of the struc ture illustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in edge elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to F ig. l but showing the opposite side of theimplement.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line it of Fig.` 3.

The handle l has a body portion or member 2 extended therefrom and aswill be noted, this body member consists of a single piece of sheet orscrap metal which is provided with a longitudinally extending slottedopening 3, the rack teeth being formed at t along one of the side edgesof the slotted opening 3. The opening 3 might be extended throughout theentire length of blade like body member 2, however, in the presentadaptation it is necessary that this slotted opening and the rack toothformation be provided only throughout the length of the outer portion ofthe body member, and at the extreme Vend of the body member the chippingpoint 5 is provided, the end being lsevered across diagonally and thesaw teeth being` provided as shown at 6.

It is preferable that the body portion l be of a material whichpossesses some little stiffness, although this member might be of springmetal, and a movable member 7 is provided at its edges with theoverhanging hook like flanges 8 and 9 which are disposed to form aguideway for the reception of the body member 2 and while having areasonably snug fit therewith yet permits free sliding movement of theone portion with respect to the other. At one end of the movable member7, the sheet or scrap metal piece from which the same is formed is bentdownwardly substantially at right `angles to provide a gage portion 10which is curved laterally to adapt the gage member to j be receivedagainst and fit upon the cylindrical outer surface of cans such as aregenerally used for the packing of fruit, vegetables, etc.` This gageportion l0 is slotted `to permit passage of the body portion 2, and

in its straight extent between the side flanges 8 and 9 has thelongitudinally eX- tending` slotted opening 11. The movable member 7 hasrack teeth formed as shown at 12 along one of the side edges thereof andoppositely disposed with respect to the rack teeth 4, although it is tobe understood that the teeth of the rack portions 4t and 12 are of thesame pitch. The body member 2 has a knife 13 extending at right anglesfrom the lower side thereof adjacent the handle, and this knife whichhas the width "thereof disposed transversely Iof the body `member ismade pointed and is sharpened on oneol both edges.

By the arrangement ofthe parts as set forth, when the 'movable member isshifted along the length of the body member, the space between the 'gageportion 10 andthe knife 13 is varied, and as the gage portion 10 is tofit on and bear against the outer surface of the canadjacent to the headend thereof while the knife is to be penetrated through thehead of thecan and to Vbe moved in a substantially "circular path to cut throughthe head `of the 4can so "that the top cover vwill be opened, it is`necessary that a center lbe provided around which'the parts of the toolcan swing and pivot. `-Withthis purpose in mind, 1 providethepenetrating center point `111 which is marde in substantially the formof a spur and is provided witha screw threaded :shank or stern 15. Asubstantially rectangular plate 16 isse- Vcured in 'conjunction with4the 4centering p'oin't 14 and 'is made ofsuch size that it can be4fitted against the under side of the `body portion 2 to rest betweenthe flanges `8 and '9 of the movable member 'as the 4stem `or "shank 15is fitted through the registering slotted `'openings of 'the members '2and 7, this fitting of the plate holding the centering pinagainstturning movemeirt. A Wheel `17 is made of such size that it `can beAfitted in the 'slotted openings 3 and 11 and in `this relation willmesh with the teeth of therack portions 4 and 12, this gear beingprovided with a central opening by which it may be loosely mounted overthe stem vor shank 15 to be capable of turning movement. A washer 18 ismounted overthe stem 1`5to bear `ag'gainst theA outer side of themovable member 7 and a knob handle A19 is provided with a screw threadedcentral orifice so that this `knob like handle can be placed `over theshank or stem to `be "tightened downagainst Y the washer 18 and 4thusthe parts can be clamped i-n set position. The outer end of the shank orstem 15 is burred or headed over as shown at 20 so that the *knob 19will be heldagainst entire removal from tthe stem or shank, ithowever-being understood that the stem is not headed over tight downagainst 'the knob butthat sufficient play 'ifs 'given that the'knobmaybe un'screwed from portion, and thus the tool consists essentially ofthe three parts, the body portion, the movable portion and theintermediate portion.

By loosening the button 19, the clamping force exerted against theportions 2 and 7 is relieved and'tlrenthese partscan be freely vmovedwith respect `to each other, or by screwing the button 19 down againstthe washer 18, the washer will contact `against the member 7 and theplate 16 will bear against the member 2te-draw these portions 'togetherand clamp the rsame to be rigidly set one with respect --to the'otherinanyadjuste'd position to which they may have previously been formed.As the gear wheel 17 has the teeth thereof fin mesh with the teeth ofthe -r'aok'ba'r por-tionsl and 12, the movement of t-l-ie'onememberavith respect to the other will cause the intermediate portion tobe given -equalizing movement which will *wall -of the 'can adjacent tothe top and `through the medium of th'eihandfl'e 1 moving the partssuci'ently that the knife 13 rests `upon the top off the feanadjacent4to `thediametrically'opposite point to tng fitting :or

the gage portion 10, the point .le will be centered l"after whichbearing pressure eX- erted to force the tool downwardly vwill cause `the`knife 13 and the point '111 lto be penetrated throughfth'e top. Thegage por tion 10 will hold the parts .against displacement from the Seanwhile thecentering portion 14 will give central .pivot around which thetool Ca'nbeswunig through grasping 'the handle 1l and theswingingmovement "of the tool w21-ll fcanse "the :knife 13 to cut .the

top around the side edge.

A corkscrew 21 is pivoted by the pin 22 to be 'capa-bile of movement tovfold against the underside of 'the =`body member 2 and `may also beswung to extend-substantially at a 'right -angle-tlrerefromiso @that a`cork screw is presented in-a positron Lfor Amost Yefficient use, andacutting blade 23 1s mounted von the bodylmember 71at vone iside land visprovided with a pointed end and a cutting edge 2&1, a bent up lug-25`'being-so positioned thatthis Vknife blade can be used in opemngrsquareor `other shaped cans in lthe fsame manner as the usual 'form `of lcanopener. When the can 'opener Ablade-is to be used, the movable portion 7will be led along the length of the body portion 2 until the end thereofcarrying the knife blade 23 is disposed adjacent to or beyond thetoothed outer end of this body portion and then the knob 19 is tighteneddown to clamp the movable portion against backward shifting, in whichrelation the handle 1 may be grasped and the device may be used withgreat eliciencyras a can opener, the lug 25 being presented to act as afulcrum in the raising of the handle to cause the knife edge 24 to cut.

When the tool is to be used in cutting or splitting a cake of ice, thesaw toothed edge 6 may be moved backwardly and forwardly in the linewhich the cut or break is to take Vand ,this operation can be continueduntil a proper kerf is obtained after which the splitting 'of the cakeor piece of ice can be accomplished by bringing the chipping or breakingpoint 5 sharply down within the kerf, or where it is desired to break acake or piece of ice without Alirst making a kerf or mark, the knob 19will be unsorewed to loosen the intermediate member and then the movablemember 7 is brought down to have the outer end thereof provided with theextension 10, received against the cake or piece of ice after which thebody portion 2 is moved back and forth in a reciprocatory path throughthis movable member 7 and then the repeated blows of the point 5 willall strike in' identically the same place thus accomplishing a betterbreaking action. To maintain the movable member 7 in the proper setposition so that it is assured that the point 5 will always strike atthe same spot, the extension 26 is cut and bent from the guide extension10 and is preferably somewhat sharpened at its outer edge so that asthis extension 26 is placed against the cake of ice, it will bite intothe surface of the same and will hold the movable portion 7 againstshifting. When the movable member 7 is brought to the raised relation.shown in Fig. 2, this extension 26 can be used in prying ofi' crownorother like bottle seals, the body portion 2 being pre sented to bereceived against the top of the cap and the extension 26 positioned togrip under the crimped edge of the cap where the same is held below thebead around the bottle neck.

l claim:

1. A tool including a body member; a

junction with said body and movable members to be maintained in acentering position between the guide and knife and to adapt the tool foruse as a can opener, and means by which said intermediate member islocked to maintain the body member and the movable member in a fixedposition with respect to each other.

2. A tool including a body member, a handle carried at one end of saidbody member and by which the same is held and moved, a movable memberslidably mounted on the body member and having a guide carried at oneend thereof away from the handle of the body member, a knife carried bythe body member adjacent the handle, an intermediate member providedwith a centering point mounted in conjunction with said body and movablemember to be maintained in a centering position between the guide andknife and to adapt the tool for use as a can opener, said intermediatemember having a screw threaded shank formed at the top thereof, and aknob handle fitted on the screw threaded shank to be turned downtheretonto and to clamp and rigidly secure the movable member in setadjustment upon the body member.

3. A tool including a body member made of elongated form and providedwith a slotted opening having teeth formed along one side `thereof toprovide a rack, a movable member slidably mounted on said body memberprovided with a slotted opening cor responding to the opening of thebody member and having rack teeth formed at the opposite side thereof, aguide carried by one of said members, a knife carried by the remainingmember, an intermediate member having a centering point carried therebyprovided with a gear wheel to be received in the slotted openings inmesh with the rack teeth of each of the members, said parts being somounted that as the two main members are moved with respect to eachother to secure the proper adjustment of the guide with respect to theknife the intermediate member will be maintained in a centering positionto thus adapt the tool for use as a can opener, and means by which saidintermediate member can be locked to maintain the body member and themovable member in'Xed position with respect to each other. In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY R. MCFARLAND. Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. BARKER, ERNEST M. LARsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente,

Washington, D. C.

